P: Syncing no longer possible - sync icons do not appear

[The Keeper of the Garden]

Syncing Collections is no longer possible in LrC 13.0.1. on macOS Sonoma 14.1.1.

1. Syn is on (in LrC and in Adobe Creative Cloud app on desktop).
2. No error messages anywhere (not in LrC, not on Lightroom on the Web, not in Adobe Creative Cloud app on desktop).
3. Collections cannot sync because "Sync with Lightroom" command (on right-click) is not present/available/visible.
   
   
   

[The Keeper of the Garden]

No big deal??? You expect users to check every single time they add a photo to a synced collection to check if the photo is indeed syncing to the Adobe Creative Cloud? If the Sync utility is no longer working and/or not working reliably, nobody can be sure about the fact whether or not his or her photos have been properly synced without manually checking every time if the numbers in LrC and in the Cloud are identical. Even if the numbers of synced photos are identical, there's no guarantee the photos are identical. 
IOW: LrC syncing is no longer functioning as it should be and as all users pay for. The application is bugged, since early November 2023, and not a single piece of feedback, apologies, help, or update has come from Adobe Engineering. If LrC would be a car, the make and all of its dealers would be out of business since months... 

[gunnarl58517840]

I have the same problem. Here's my routine when adding new photos to LRC. I have all of my photos in synced collections, around 35000 photos.

1. Import photos and drag them to one or more synced collections. 
2. LRC shows the sync is beginning. A number of syncing photos is shown. 
3. The sync gets stuck. The blue rotating circle freezes. 
4. The only way to 'fix' this is to end LRC and restart.

5. After restart there are no sync symbols shown to the left of the collection name. No sync starts.

6. A new restart. If I'm lucky the sync starts after the second restart, otherwise I have to restart until the sync symbols show up and the sync starts.

I've had this problem for at least a year. I 've spent many hours trying to find the problem. This isn't good enough, Adobe! Stop all new features and focus on solving this serious problem!

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

Lightroom Classic 13.3 has completely changed the Sync Engine. Please update to 13.3 and advise if you are still seeing this issue. 

[fijnheid]

I can confirm it still happens to me on v13.3, although I can't say anything about frequency.

Lightroom was open for a while and I'm now noticing that all of the sync icons are no longer there, and I can't choose any sync-related items from the menu when right-clicking a collection. Pausing and resuming the syncing in the top right does not have any effect for me, but from past experience, restarting Lightroom would make it function again.

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

Thank you for confirming. I didn't expect it to change but thought with the new syncing engine in this update, I was hoping....

[Gord Webster]

Rikk.

This issue has been resolved on my system. I can open my default catalogue at LrC start-up and the sync icons display correctly.

macOS Sonoma v14.5. LrC v13.3

[Paul Green Photography]

January 2025. Sync was still stuck for me. I've just spent the best part of 2 days trying to fix this! Forced an upgrade to LRC 13.5.1. Sync icons reappeared. New sync activity tab appeared but offered no way to handle the list. "All sync errors" list shows up under Catalog. Not immediately obvvious to look there. But does allow you to delete those error images at least. Open LR(Desktop) and remove images and albums from there too. Repeat on LR mobile. FINALLY all seems clear after a few restarts of both LRC and MacOS.
Now seems to be working (though I am waiting for a new collection to sync fully and very slowly).
Personal Observations:
1. This has forced me to update LR software to a newer version than was supported by my OS. Thus forcing me to upgrade OS as well. This has created an overall system slow down for me. Which may not be viable for ongoing workaday use. Yes, I now have sync functioning (for how long?), but at what cost.
I would actually prefer Adobe deleted this functionality altogether (if they cant get it working reliably and well-supported) and kept LR working as a non-destructive editing and cataloging tool that it was created to be.
2. I suspect you need really fast internet for this to work well. I don't have that. And many parts of the world don't either. Designing software for the ultimate system and ideal conditions few of us have, is probably not a good idea.

[richardplondon]

"I would actually prefer Adobe deleted this functionality altogether" - pausing Sync, and leaving it paused, seems to be equivalent: if you do not want any local interchanges with cloud going on, you can prevent those and just ignore any Sync status warnings. Remove the Sync arrow against any Collections. One consequence is finding some other way to get new images captured by cloud connected devices (such as cellphones) to become local files, so that they can be imported. If one's new images are all arriving from local card reader (or tethering) anyway that won't be a consideration.